Walnut City Music Fest is back

Featuring an array of local and regional musicians, the Walnut City Music Festival returns for a second round Saturday, Aug. 16, at the Granary District in McMinnville.

Folk and pop band The Druthers kicks off the festivities Friday with an 8 to 11 p.m. performance at the Grain Station Brew Works.

The bulk of the event runs noon to midnight the following day, with Portland-based indie pop rock band Radiation City serving as the headliner. Additional music groups make up the 11-band lineup, including The Weather Machine, Keaton Collective, McDougall, The Jackalope Saints, The Hill Dogs and more.

Stormy weather put a damper on last year’s event, but festival organizer Ossie Bladine says this run promises a brighter outlook.

“This is almost a trial year to see how it goes and get a sense of its potential,” he said. “There’s plenty of room to grow.”

Bladine teamed up with organizations like the McMinnville Noon Rotary Club and the McMinnville Downtown Wineries to increase the scope of the festival.

Bladine’s passion for music sparked the event, and he hopes the festival will become an urban counterpart to Willamina’s rural Wildwood Music Festival.

But he’s also keenly aware that McMinnville is acquiring a reputation as a desirable destination, and he feels it’s “important to ensure a flow of cultural offerings.”

To add to the family-friendly vibe, popcorn and barbecue fare will be dished up by the Rotary Club open until 10 p.m., and the McMinnville Library will host a kids’ area with face painting, crafts and a bouncy house until 5 p.m.

Tickets are $10 in advance or $15 at the door. Children 10 and under are free.

Advance tickets are available at the News-Regiser, the Grain Station Brew Works, The Vortex and Yamhill Valley Dry Goods, or online at www.mcwalnuts.com.